And To All a Goodnight
by NotbendingNotbreaking
Summary: A marauder's era fluff.


**a/n:** I almost wasn't going to add this, but I decided I might as well considering its been sitting in the scraps of my deviantart account for six months. I wrote it as a gift to my friends on deviantart for Christmas. It was a while ago and it was pretty rough. I'm to lazy to go back and edit it. It's basically pure fluff about a Remus and an OC of mine. It might be a little out of character, but hey, what the heck. Criticism is welcomed anyhow.

I don't own Harry Potter, yatta yatta. I do, however, own Jace.

* * *

Iced in elegant blankets of frost, Hogwarts castle glistened with brightness only Christmas Day could bring. Every student, though early in the morning, sat awake in their common rooms while opening gifts and sharing the holiday feeling with fellow classmates. Inside the Gryffindor house a group of particularly close 7th-year friends chatted together while exchanging gifts. Each had been saving up for months in order to find the right present to light up their friend's day.

Two boys, both with raven manes, one with glasses perched upon his nose, enthusiastically dug through the clutter among the Christmas tree to drag out their presents. The one with glasses, James Potter, sat next to his proud girlfriend, Lily Evans, and handed her a brightly wrapped package. The other, Sirius Black, triumphantly had a present for every one of his friends, a first for him. He figured, being in his last year in Hogwarts, he would get a gift for everyone.

Peacefully in their chairs four other friends sat. One boy, Remus Lupin, watched his friends happily with a slight smile on his lips. He would wait until calm resided between everyone in order to give his gifts. He might wait longer, though, to deliver one in particular. Peter Pettigrew, who was smaller than the rest of the crew, yipped happily when he saw even Sirius had gotten him a something. Thinking that this year would be no different than the lonely rest, he had not bothered shopping for his friends. The two left, both female, sat on opposite sides, and were the only two that had a certain dislike for each other.

The first, with long tresses of deep brown and shining blue eyes, was named Jace Andrews. She rested in the chair next to Remus and talked in partial conversation, though both were inevitably distracted by the Christmas commotion. Glaring from time to time in Jace's direction, Ashton Fitch (known as Ash) teetered in-between gallivanting with the boys or standing her ground. It proved hard to get a chair back every year on this particular morning. She twirled hair black hair and squinted her brown specs in indecision.

"Sirius, you got me a gift? I-I.. I'm so grateful! If I had known, well I'd have gotten you-"

"Shut up, Peter." Sirius snapped as he threw his gift at him.

"So what did your parents leave you?" asked Jace to Sirius from her chair.

Sirius smiled, as everyone knew his parents had passed away last summer and left him something in their will that he was to get on the next Christmas to the day they died. "Well.. let's see."

For a moment the movement in the group settled into a slight stir as Sirius opened an envelope he had placed at his feet among the other gifts for himself. He read for a moment.

("Wow, Padfoot, I didn't know you could read!"

"Shut up, James.")

"Oh, I get their house." One would think this happy news, but the sour look on Sirius's face told a story far from that.

"That's not bad, at least you got something. Hey, you can sell it and get money!" Ash tried to console him the best she could.

After a few more awkward gift exchanges, Sirius shook of his dapper mood. "Everyone, its Christmas morning. Lets eat!" He grinned at James and James returned the look, and suddenly the common room seemed to filter out the portrait hole into a near silence to what it was moments before.

"Besdahoffdayur." James said between grits and pancake.

"Yousedrybrudda." Sirius added in, spraying some sausage.

Lily scrunched up her face, "Sorry, I don't speak hungryidiot."

"Buhyouspeakdalanguagoffluvv." James waggled his eyebrows and made the best kissy face he could with the load of food he had in his mouth.

Jace sat with her nose upturned, playing with her food and watching the tables slowly filling with people.

"Not going to eat?" Remus sat down next her with a plate full of food, though not even half the amount that Sirius and James piled on their plates for their first servings.

"Oh, I am." Jace smiled at him fondly. She had been a friend with him for a long time now, and soon enough the year would be over and where would she be? Where would he be? To be honest she had grown to like him more than she thought she would over the years, despite certain incidents. Even when she went out with Sirius, he was there for her as a friend.

"Doesn't look like it." He pushed some food at her and nodded on as if encouraging her.  
Jace shrugged and took a bite off the egg on her own plate. "Watching those disposals makes me lose my appetite."

"Aye!" Sirius managed to swallow his food as he looked across the table at her. "We are just food enthusiasts and there is nothing wrong with that."

James nodded in agreement as he stuffed his face some more. Lily and Ash both rolled their eyes and continued to eat like a normal human being. Slowly but surely the tables filled and cleared and everyone went back to the common room just to hang out.

Peter had trailed behind with James and Sirius, who were both finishing off their mountains of food, while Remus rested in the boy's dormitory's fiddling with a trinket. _What if this is a mistake and I ruin my last bit of time? What if she doesn't like me and I just ruin it, I can't take that risk. But then what am I going to do with this?_ He held up a small locket in his hands, and then let it drop in his lap.

The door swung open. "Hey Moony, watcha doin'?" Sirius plopped next to him and looked at the necklace resting on Remus's legs. "Ooh. Who's the lucky lady.. Or. JAMES. OH NO. HE'S GONE GAY ON US!"

James laughed and sat on his own bed while Peter hovered nervously in the corner, chuckling to himself.

Remus smiled. "Uh well, you know.." He scratched his head. "Just a friend."

"The rules of gift-giving clearly state that jewelry is for girlfriends, and girlfriends only. For chick friends you buy something from the joke shop." James said matter-of-factly. "But I bet I know who you're after, Moony." He grinned.

Remus flushed. "No, really, its not anything like that its just, we're leaving, this is our last year and-"

"Bullshit." Sirius said and the rest chuckled along. "So. Who is it?"

"Padfoot, are you really that dim?" James shook his head and tapped his temple. "Who is the only girl he even talks to practically? Or looks at, for that matter?" He waited a minute before answering for his friend. "Jace, am I right?"

Suddenly becoming fascinated at his hands, Remus merely nodded and looked at them.

Sirius blew air out loudly. "Good luck." He shook his head. "She's tough, just be honest with her. You know, straight up be like: Hey, I like you so lets go out." He smiled. "Or do something romantic. But uh, yeah. Good luck."

"Right," Remus nodded. He wasn't going to completely go with what Sirius said, after all he and Jace did break up. But then again, they were going out for almost a year. He was surprised Sirius wasn't a little angry with him going after his ex-girlfriend.

"I guess she's hard to read, that's the only thing I don't miss. When are you going to give it to her, anyways?"

"Later tonight, I don't know." Remus hadn't thought about it. He would need to get her alone, somewhere like… the astronomy tower, that's where he had first kissed her in fourth year. Her reaction then would hopefully be different three years later though.

_**Remus looked at her carefully, and as soon as she returned the same studying look, he decided it was time to take the plunge. He carefully pressed his lips to hers, but almost as soon as he had kissed her he wasn't. ** _

**"Sorry, I didn't-"**

**"I-I have to go." And she fled.**

Sirius stood and shrugged. "See you later." James got up too and Peter tagged along, leaving Remus in silence once more.

After lunch, contemplating, watching Ash and Sirius and James and Lily together, Remus decided he had to just swallow his pride and hope for the best. It was their last year after all, and he knew it would be worth it if he could just pluck up the courage. Still he waited, dinnertime came and went, and Dumbledore gave his usual holiday speech: short and sweet and to the point so everyone could eat.  
There she was, in her chair as usual, reading by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room on her favorite loveseat. In a few hours Christmas would be over and he still hadn't given her the gift he spent so long looking for. Something just right, something that would really make her happy. He found it in a pawn shop, and it wasn't that expensive, but she used to have one just like it, until Peter accidentally dropped it in the fire after a devious truth or dare from Sirius to retrieve it from her bedside table.

_**"You WHAT?" Jace looked angrily at the guilty foursome. "That was my mom's necklace, it's the only thing I have from her since she left and now its gone! Thanks a lot." She stormed out of the common room leaving the thirteen-year-old boys to feel the pain of actually having a conscience.**_

Remus pocketed the necklace and slowly made his way down the stairs, still unnoticed. The common room was practically empty except for a few fifth-years in the opposite corner of his destination.

"Hey." He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before sitting down next to Jace.

"Hello." She looked up briefly and smiled at him, then continued to read her novel of choice.

"Umm…" She looked up again as Remus began to stutter. "Well, I got you something… I don't know if you, well, this morning when I didn't give you anything. You know, I did. But I wanted to give it to you now…"

Jace blinked a few times. "Oh, I didn't have any money, I'm sorry, you shouldn't have."

"Well, uh, its ok." Remus bit his tongue, what was he supposed to say? He pulled out the necklace and handed it to her. He watched her as she pinched the clasp and let it fall into full view in front of her. She looked blank to him, unreadable just like Sirius said.

"It's beautiful." Her eyes looked watery, dazzled, like she didn't want the emotion to leak through. "Thank you." She unlatched it and Remus took it carefully out of her hands.

"Here, I'll do it." He offered and sweeping her hair out of the way, Jace turned around for him. _Control yourself; don't kiss her just because she's not reacting badly. Just be happy she likes it,_ Remus thought as he attached the necklace around her neck.

Blush rising in her cheeks, Jace turned around again. _What am I supposed to do now?_ She looked to the ground, to the fire, down at her new locket, and then back to Remus (who seemed to be doing the same thing).

Remus slid his hands down his pants once again, he could almost feel them shaking. _Why am I so nervous? I have to just do- _Suddenly he found Jace pressed against him and he didn't even have to think anymore. Her lips were thick and soft just like they were three years ago, only this time she wasn't startled, and she didn't have to go. But he pulled back.

Jace seemed to be slightly smiling and she stood up. "Well, Merry Christmas."

Remus grabbed her hand. "But… what?" He tugged on her slightly and she sat down again.

Jace rubbed her cheek. "Sorry, I just don't know what to do sometimes. I really… like you."

He grinned. "Good, because I wouldn't have it any other way."

She nodded and he continued to speak. "So do you want to go out or something?" Remus felt the burst of heat in his cheeks and hoped he didn't look like a red Christmas ornament.

Jace giggled and nodded. "Goodnight."

Remus watched as she stood, headed up the stairs, and glanced back at him before shutting the Girls' Dorm door. "Goodnight."


End file.
